WORLD IN BRIEF | December 13, 2012

By THE CHRONICLE HERALDPublished December 13, 2012 - 9:40pm

Experts: North Korea lacks reliable missiles

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — After 14 years of painstaking labour, North Korea finally has a rocket that can put a satellite in orbit. But that doesn’t mean the reclusive country is close to having an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Experts say Pyongyang is years from even having a shot at developing reliable missiles that could bombard the American mainland and other distant targets, though it did gain attention and the outrage of world leaders Wednesday with its first successful launch of a three-stage, long-range rocket.

A missile program is built on decades of systematic, intricate testing, something extremely difficult for economically struggling Pyongyang, which faces guaranteed sanctions and world disapproval each time it stages an expensive launch.

Obama, Speaker meet about fiscal cliff

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House “fiscal cliff” meeting between President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner has ended with no immediate indication of progress from either side.

The two leaders met at the White House Thursday night for about an hour. They made no public comments following the sit-down, their second face-to-face meeting of the week.

Obama and Boehner have so far struggled to break their impasse over taxes. The president wants tax rates to rise on the top two per cent of income earners, which Boehner opposes.

Google releases map app for iPhone

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google Maps has found its way back to the iPhone.

The world’s most popular online mapping system returned late Wednesday with the release of the Google Maps iPhone app. The release comes nearly three months after Apple Inc. replaced Google Maps as the device’s built-in navigation system and inserted its own map software into the latest version of its mobile operating system.

Apple’s maps application proved to be far inferior to Google’s, turning what was supposed to be a setback for Google into a vindication.

McAfee holed up in Miami after deportation

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Anti-virus software founder John McAfee said Thursday that U.S. authorities have made no efforts to question him since he arrived in Miami after weeks of evading Belizean authorities who want to ask him about the death of his neighbour.

“Why would they want to question me, about what?” a tired-looking but sharply dressed McAfee said Thursday from the steps of his South Beach hotel.

McAfee was deported from Guatemala after sneaking in illegally from Belize, where police want to question him in connection with the death of a U.S. expatriate who lived near him on an island off Belize’s coast. U.S officials said there was no active arrest warrant for McAfee that would justify taking him into custody.

Smartphones can soon be used to get a cab

NEW YORK (AP) — Raising your arm and yelling “taxi!” is the old-fashioned way to nab a New York City cab. Soon, all you’ll need is a smartphone app.

New York City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission on Thursday approved a pilot program allowing riders to “e-hail” yellow cabs, starting Feb. 15 on a test basis. Until now, the city has banned yellow taxis from prearranging rides.

“We should not ignore technology that’s out there. This is not speculative, this is real,” Commissioner David Yassky said.

The commission issued a news release after the vote celebrating what it called “appy days ahead.”

The system will be tried out for one year. After the free apps start linking customers with drivers in mid-February, the commission will produce quarterly reports on the program’s success, leading to a decision on whether to extend it.